Our feature on the new book by Stephen Lockwood about Huddersfield trolleybuses sparked memories for artist Bryan Ellis.

Formerly of Newsome , he now lives in Slaithwaite and has been a trolleybus enthusiast for many years.

“I was very sad to see the trolleys go,” he said. “We lost them on my then home route, Newsome, in 1966 and I missed the final day on July 13, 1968 as we were off to Skegness on our annual holiday.

“I remember sitting on the coach travelling along Wakefield Road on that fateful Saturday early morning hoping to catch a last glimpse of a trolley, but to my great disappointment only the new Fleetline diesel buses seemed to be operating the Waterloo to Outlane and Lindley services.

“When we arrived home the following Saturday the overhead wires still seemed to be up everywhere and I thought there might have been a change of heart by the Corporation but, alas, it wasn’t to be. In fact, it took the best part of six months before the last wires were cut down!”

One of Bryan’s hobbies is freehand pencil drawings and he has sent in two – one of a trolleybus and another of a tram.

He said: “They were both drawn from black and white photos and then, after research, coloured.

Drawing by Bryan Ellis of two trams on Queen Street South near the end of operation on the Newsome route in May 1937

“The one with the two trams on is in Queen Street South near the end of operation on the Newsome route in May 1937. There was a passing loop in the track here to improve the service as much of the route was single line.

“The building in the right foreground has only recently been demolished, and belonged to Thomas Broadbent & Sons Ltd, as do the buildings below it. I have only just retired from there after 19 years.

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“The other one is of a trolley waiting to turn into Colne Road on the Newsome route at Folly Hall in late 1964. It has just operated the automatic points (or frogs) in the overhead to diverge off the Lockwood-bound wires. When the trolleys took over the service on May 2, 1937 they were diverted away from the tram route in East Parade and Queen Street South and re-routed down Chapel Hill and Colne Road.

The service was also extended a further half mile from the tram terminus at Newsome Church to Berry Brow at Caldercliffe Road and was shown as Newsome South on the route blinds. Trolley No. 593 was exhibited at the Commercial Motor Show when new in 1950.